Combined spark-plug and engine testing and priming device.



I 0. vom.

COMBINED SPARK PLUG AND ENGINE TESTING AND PRIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, IQIT- 1,281A41, Patented 060.15, 1918.

4 3 SHEETS-SHEET I O. VOIGT.

COMBINED SPARK PLUG AND ENGINE TESTING. AND PRIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24,191].

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0'. VOIGT.

COMBINED SPARK PLUG AND ENGINE TEST'NG AND PRIMING DEVICE.

APPLICAIION FILED NOV. 24. 19:1

1,281,441. Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

OSCAR VOIGT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED SPARK-PLUG ANT) ENGINE TESTING AND PRIMING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,721.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OscAR Vorc'r, a cit zen of the United States, residing in the clty,

county, and State of New York, have 1n- -vented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Spark-Plugs and Engine Testing and Priming'Devices, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

The present invention relates to improvements upon the engine testing and priming device covered by Letters Patent No. 1,248,- 957, granted to me December 45th, 1917. The present invention includes certain structural improvements in the testing and priming device of said patent and in combining with such device a novel form of spark plug. In

- combining the spark plug with the testing and priming device the valve rod of the spring controlled check valve of the patented device is modified and extended to constitute one of the sparking terminals of the spark plug, the second terminal being mounted upon the threaded metallic shell of the spark plug and being preferably in the form of a renewable tapered pin seated in a tapered socket of the metallic casing.

The combination of the improved spark plug with the engine testing and priming device is not only of great utility because of the compact association of the several elements of the device, but by reason of the operation of the tester and primer, the spark plug terminals are efi'ectively kept 'free from carbon deposits, so that spark plug troubles are reduced to a minimum.

A convenient form of the improved testing, priming and sparking device includes a modified engine valve cap as a metallic shell or support for the spark plug proper.

In order that my invention may be fully understood it will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward pointed out'more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of an automobile engine cylinder showing the application of my improved spark plug and engine testing and priming device mounted upon one of the valve caps of the engine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device 1n side elevation removed from the engine and showing the valve cap and lock nut of the plug in sections;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of thesame taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an underneath View of the device as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. .8, looking upwardly;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, looking downwardly;

Fig. 7 is a detail plan View of the hand operated controlling lever removed from the device;

Fig. 8 is a detail edge View of a slightly modified form of the device, the hand lever being broken oil".

A hollow cast metal body 10, formed with a longitudinal bore extending entirely through it constitutes the main element of the combined spark plug and engine testing and priming device. This hollow body 10 is essentially the same as covered by my above named patent, in that it is formed with a lower tubular portion 11 formed at its lower end with an internal valve seat 12 and with an external threaded portion 13. The longitudinal bore of the body 10 is enlarged to form a spherical seat 14, in which is accu rately fitted a ball member 15, formed with a (liametrical guide opening 16, through which extends the longitudinally movable rod member 17 that constitutes the valve rod of the testing and priming device and one of the terminals of the spark plug. 17 is the valve member proper rigidly secured to the lower reduced end of rod 17 and normally seating in the concave valve seat 12, just referred to. Above the ball guide member 15 is a suitable asbestos packing 18 confined around rod 17 in the cavity of the body 10 by means of a guide nut 19 threaded in the bore of the body 10 and formed with a diametrical opening through which rod 17 passes.

Resting upon the guide nut and surrounding the rod member .17 are the concentric main and auxiliary coil springs 20 and 21,

end and formed with a central longitudinal guide opening 26, which slides upon rod 17 and with a counter bore 27 in its lower end which fits over the nut or washer 22 and main cylindrical spring 20 referred to. This head 25 is free to move up and down in the upper end of body portion 10 and upon the rod member 17 tocompress the auxiliary spring21 or be acted upon by that spring to exertits influence upon the rod 17 through the devices which will now be explained.

The body portion 10 is formed with an integral laterally projecting arm or lug formed with avertical guide slot 32, across" 2-5 is transversely slotted in its upper end,

as shown at 28, to receive the lower edge of lever 35, which projects across the device just above the headI A nut 45 is threaded upon, or otherwise secured to the upper end of rod'17, to limit the outer movement of lever upon the rod 17, to enable the expan-1 sion of auxiliary spring'21 to act through head-25, lever 35 and nut 45, upon rod 17.

The spring arm 40 is secured to a 'lug or shoulder 41 on body 10, by means of a screw 4.2 and is formed between its ends with locking-teeth or shoulders 43, which are adapted with the opening in body 10. In this modito engage the inner wall of the slot 39 in lever 35 for locking the lever in either oneof two positions of adjustment out of normal.

The body 10 carries at one side a. small priming cup or basin 50, communicating di-' rectly through port 51 with the longitudinal bore 11 of body 10. This priming cup may be formed integral with the body portlon 10,

.as in my above named patent, or it may be made as a removable cup, as indicated in Fig. 8. In this modified form the cup 55 is formed with a threaded nipple 56, screwed into a threaded opening 57 of body portion 10 and having a port 58, communicating fied form the shape of the priming cup is such as to facilitate the use'upon the tester and primer in horizontal position. This'removable cup may, however, be made'in any desired shape to facilitate this operation in the particular position desired.

The tester and primer, so far as above described, differs, from the-device of my above named patent in only slight 1 details of construction, whichwill, be'pointed out in. the claims. The principal feature of the prespresented slots 38 and 39,.

ent invention is to adapt the device of said patent to a combined tester, primer and spark plug. This feature of the invention will now be described.

- In adding the feature of the spark plug to the described tester and priming device, the body 10 is mountedin a suitable insulating' body and the valve rod 17 is extended to constitute one of the terminals of the spark plug. 60 is a cylindrical hollow porcelain body fitting snugly upon the lower tubular end of the body 10,'above referred to, and formed with an internal shoulder 61 against which abuts a tubular thimble 65, which is internally threaded at 66 and screwed upon the threaded lower end 13 of body 10. The upper end of this porcelain member 60 engages the flanged portion of the body 10 just beneath the priming cup 50, so that the engagement of thimble 65 confines the body 10 against movement in the porcelain" member 60. The securing thimble 65 is made rela-x tively deep and of suflicient size to surround the valve 17* and leave ample room around and beneath the valve to permit its freedom of movement and the free action of liquids and gases in. the operation of the device. The thimble is formed with a perforated bottom 67 to permit the flow of liquids and gases therethrough and with a central uide opening 68 to receive the lower end fi of the extended rod 17 above referred to. This extendedportion 17 of the rod 17 constitutes one of the terminals of the spark plug.

The porcelain member 60 may be mounted in any suitable tubular metal shell such as the common metal thimble of the ordinary spark plug of commerce or any other form of metal supporting body which will serve to attach the device in the engine cylinder and support theother sparking terminal of the spark plug.

In illustrating the complete form of the tester, primer and spark plug of my invention, I have represented a metallic supporting casing of the device in the form, of a valve cap, designed to take the place of'the caps that usually fit in the openings of an engine casing directly above the controlling valves through which the valves are inserted 1 5 and removed. 70 is such a combined valve cap and metallic shell for the tester, primer and sparkplug. This shell 70 is formed with an internal shoulder at 71, upon which rests the annular rib 60 of theporcelain member 60, and an internal threaded socket 72 to receive the threaded portion of a lock nut 75, which surrounds the porcelain member 60 and engages the rib 66 for confining the device in themetallic shell 70. Suitable gaskets or washers are preferably employed,

as shown at X, Y andZ to producegas-tight oints. 1

The metallic shell 70 is formed with a threaded inner cylindrical portion 73, which 139v is adapted to be screwed into a valve cap opening of an explosive engine. 80 is the second terminal of the spark plug, formed preferably, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which it is a removable conicalpin, seated in a conical recess 81, extending through the shell portion 78 and presented thereby in sparking relation to the rod member 17*. The pin 80 can readily be removed and a new one inserted in case of necessity.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a partial longitudinal sectional view of one cylinder of a gas engine, in which 85 1s the water jacketed cylinder, 86 the piston, 87 one of the intake passages, 88 one of the mtake controlling valves, and 70 the combined valve cap and supporting shell of the engine tester, primer and spark plug. This figure illustrates the preferred application of my invention.

90 is the circuit wire which may be attached to the body member 10 at any convenient point. As shown, the circuit wire is attached to the pivot 33 by the usual wire attaching binding nut.

The operation of my invention will be clear from the following brief explanation.

The operation of the device, as an engine tester, or as a primer, is fully explained in my above named patent. From the arrangement of the main and auxiliary springs 20 and 21 and the improved construction of the operating hand lever and of its arrangement with respect to the spring controlling head 25 it will be observed that the parts can readily be assembled and taken apart when required and that the action and cooperation of the device is more satisfactory in some respects than with the form of such parts shown in my above named. patent. The spark plug operates as an ordinary spark plug, the valve rod of the check valve of the testing and priming device serving as one of the terminals of the spark plug. The arrangement of this rod terminal in the pathway of the priming or cleaning fluids that are passed through the testing or priming device serves to keep the sparking points and surrounding exposed surfaces of the porcelain insulator practically free of carbon particles, so that spark plug troubles are reduced to a minimum.

The improved combined tester, primer and spark plug embodies all of the advantages of the device covered by my above named patent and in addition thereto the spark plug which, in its relation to the other devices, produces improved results.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a tubular body formed with an inlet port and a valve seat, a spring seated check valve operating upon said valve seat, a valve rod supporting said valve and valve mounted upon a vaive rod operating in the tubular body, a valve rod extension projecting below said valve and constituting a spark plug terminal, an insulating body supporting said tubular body, "a thimble threaded upon the lower end of said tubular body and engaging in said insulating body, said thimble being formed with a guide opening through which the rod extension operates and with openings for the passage of liquid and gases, and a metallic shell supporting the insulating body and carrying the second spark plug terminal.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tubular body formed with an inlet port and a valve seat, a spring seated check valve operating upon said valve seat and provided with a supporting valve rod, an extension of said valve rod projecting below said valve and constituting a spark plug terminal, a body of insulating material supporting said tubular body and formed with an internal shoulder, a thimble threaded upon the lower end of said tubular body and engaging the internal shoulder of said insulating body, said thimble being formed with a guide opening through which the rod extension operates and with openings for the passage of liquid and gases, and a metallic shell supporting the insulating body and carrying the second spark plug terminal.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tubular body having a valve seat and an inlet port, a reciprocatory spring actuated valve operating upon said seat, a pivot pin upon said body, a hand operated controlling lever formed at one end with a hook which detachably engages said pivot pin, said lever being suitably connected with said valve and means for locking said lever in different positions.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tubular body having a valve seat, a valve operating upon said seat, a valve stem extending through the tubular body, main and auxiliary valve-closing springs surrounding said stem, a reciprocable head operating upon said valve stem in the upper end of said tubular body in engagement with one of said springs, an operating lever pivoted at one end upon said tubular body and extending transversely thereof and engaging said valve stem and said reciprocablehead, and a locking spring engaging said lever and adapted to-hold it in a plurality of adjusted positions.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a tubular body having a valve seat, a valveoperating upon said seat, a valve stein extending through the tubular body, the mainand auxiliary Valve closing 5 springs surrounding said stem Within said I body, a reciprocable head operating upon said valve'stem in the upper end of said tubular body in engagement with one of said springs, said head being counter bored to spring arm engaging said leverand adapted 15 to hold it in a plurality of adjusted positions.

' OSCAR VOIGT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents ea'oli, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatents,

Washingtonflfl. G. 

